Interfaith

The Chappaqua Interfaith Council will hold its annual Thanksgiving Service this year at Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, 220 South Bedford Road, Chappaqua at 3 p.m. A free community dinner will follow the service. Everyone is welcome. Prayers, readings, music and songs will be performed by members of all the participating faith communities and some guests. This year the focus of the service will be the celebration of diversity and differences in our community.

The Rev. Canon Alan Dennis of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Episcopal will be the featured speaker. Rev. Dennis, who was born in South Africa, came to Chappaqua last year after a long career in parishes as far flung as Capetown, where he experienced the problems of apartheid, and Toronto and as close as New York City and Pelham.

This is the twelfth year the Chappaqua Interfaith Council has offered a meal following the service. Over 300 guests are expected to attend. Once again the Kittle House is graciously providing the turkey, mashed potatoes and sides for the dinner. Other village businesses will be contributing as well. Community members will also contribute favorite side dishes and desserts.

This year the Council will gratefully accept tax-deductible monetary donations and non-perishable food items for the Northern Westchester Community Center, which provides food, clothing and service to the needy in the area.

The Chappaqua Interfaith Council includes representatives, both lay and clergy, from the following faith communities: Baha’is of New Castle; Chappaqua Friends Meeting; The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Episcopal; First Congregational Church; Lutheran Church of our Redeemer; St. John and St. Mary’s Catholic Church; Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester and the Upper Westchester Muslim Society

Thornwood, June 21–Members of the Upper Westchester Muslim Society warmly embraced a group of visitors from area houses of worship who joined UWMS members to honor their prayers and traditions revolving around the breaking of the near 18-hour, dawn-to-dusk fast of Ramadan.

Joining dozens of UWMS members were clergy and congregants from Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, the First Congregational Church of Chappaqua, Briarcliff Church, among others. They participated in or observed the UWMS service and later together with UWMS members enjoyed a buffet including traditional fare such as pasta bechemel and fereek with chicken, followed by mouthwatering cheese and raisin baklavahs, and trays of dried and fresh fruit.

“Ramadan Mubarak means ‘to have a blessed Ramadan'” explained Samsiah Abdul-Majid, a member of the all volunteer-run society; Abdul-Majid also serves as a Chaplain at Westchester Medical Center. “It’s how we express our best wishes for people observing Ramadan and share with others around us. It is also a month to enhance our closeness to God, increase the relationship in good neighborliness. We are honored that kind of relationship has been built through the years with the community of Westchester.” — Grace Bennett

CHAPPAQUA’S FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH HOSTS
INTERFAITH VIGIL FOR VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13

In commemoration of the third anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, and in remembrance of the 90,000 American victims of gun violence since December 2012, First Congregational Church in Chappaqua, NY, is joining the Newtown Foundation and Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence in a nationwide vigil service to #EndGunViolence. The Interfaith Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence at First Congregational Church will take place on Sunday, December 13, 4 p.m.

“Through prayer, song, the ringing of bells, and candlelight, the service is intended to give a voice to all victims and survivors of gun violence,” stated Rev. Martha Jacobs, Senior Minister, First Congregational Church.

The Chappaqua Vigil is one of hundreds of local vigils being held in 39 states around the nation.

Survivors, elected officials, faith leaders, and others in the community will gather together to honor all victims of gun violence. Survivors and family members of victims will talk first-hand about the lifelong pain it creates.

– Kim Russell, a gun violence survivor, lives in NY and works with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and Million Mom March.
– Gisela Marin, mother of Jessica N. Santos, who at age 19 was the innocent victim of a random drive-by shooting. The Jessica N. Santos Foundation, http://www.rememberingjessica.com/foundation.htm
– Leah Gunn Barrett, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. Leah lost her brother to gun violence in 1997.
– Faith Leaders from First Congregational Church, Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, the Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, the Chappaqua Interfaith Council, and the Upper Westchester Muslim Society.
– Elected officials attending:
– Assemblyman David Buchwald, 93rd Assembly District
– Robert Greenstein, Town Supervisor, Chappaqua
– Patti Lubin, Senior Counsel, representing US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

Since that tragic day in December 2012 approximately 90,000 lives have been needlessly cut short due to the public health crisis of gun violence. So far in 2015 there has been on average at least one mass shooting per day (4 or more people shot in one incident), and more than 1,000 since the Sandy Hook shooting[i]. More preschoolers are shot dead than are police killed in the line of fire[ii].

Chappaqua Cares, a not for profit connecting philanthropic organizations, is co-sponsoring the vigil.
“We mourn for all victims of gun violence and believe it is vital to support family and friends suffering the loss of their loved ones every day for the rest of their lives. The ripple effect of gun violence cannot be understated,” said Dawn Greenberg, founder, Chappaqua Cares.

Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk Magazines is the media partner for the event.

The organizers expect a large turnout in the face of horrific mass shootings in Colorado Springs and San Bernardino over the past two weeks.

[i] Mass Shootings Tracker, shootingtracker.com
[ii] A New Way to Tackle Gun Deaths, The New York Times Op-Ed, October 3, 2015

–First Congregational Church has been serving the greater Chappaqua community for over 100 years. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and is an Open and Affirming congregation.http://www.fcc-chappaqua.org/
–The Newtown Foundation is a Newtown-based, all volunteer organization formed after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Our mission is “To provide comfort, education, scholarship and other support and resources to people and communities impacted by, and living or growing up among or in the aftermath, of violence in American society; and to help them lead the way toward positive cultural change over the long term.”http://newtownaction.org/newtown-foundation/.
-Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence is a diverse coalition of more than 50 denominations and faith-based organizations united by the call of our faiths to confront America’s gun violence epidemic and to rally support for policies that reduce death and injury from gunfire. http://faithsunited.org.

As the holidays approach, magazines are filled with tips on how to stay healthy. Stressed? Be super-organized, Martha Stewart-style: start baking and freezing months ahead of time, and you’ll be able to enjoy a relaxed holiday in your lovingly decorated home. Alternately: Stressed? Take the anti-Martha approach. Let go of perfection. Take short cuts. Your house is a home, not a movie set. Stop focusing on the externals and enjoy the real meaning of the holidays.

Inevitably, there’s advice on avoiding holiday weight gain. You know the drill: drink three glasses of water before an office party. Have a strategy for cocktail hour, and focus on the crudités. These pieces tend to be accompanied by graphs comparing the calories in a glass of spiked eggnog to those in a seltzer and diet cranberry cocktail. And of course, don’t drop your exercise routine no matter how hectic your schedule.

Look, I read all this stuff myself, and personally, I boomerang between Martha and “to hell with it” each year. But let me offer yet a different prescription for a healthy, happy holiday. Do good-feel good. Think beyond your body, your house and even your family. It’s a big world out there, and it needs your help.

Now for the full disclosure part of our program: hunger is my issue. For many years I have served on the board of The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.* If you think hunger is not a local problem, you are mistaken. Last year, our Pantry served more than 20,000 people. This year we’re on track to serve 25,000. We are the only area food pantry that offers regular, weekly distributions. If you visited on a distribution day, you’d see your neighbors: pregnant women, women with toddlers in tow, elderly men and women living on fixed incomes, pushing metal carts to carry their groceries. Single young men who live in crowded apartments without cooking facilities. People whose medical crises have eaten up all their savings. And yes, some folks from Chappaqua, who are barely holding on to their homes, and whose cupboards are shockingly bare.

Our pantry provides each household in need enough groceries for at least three days’ worth of meals. As a “choice” pantry, we offer clients a selection of fresh eggs, frozen meats, non-perishable staples, and, at least twice a month, fresh produce. We provide other services too–home delivery, a mobile food pantry, registration for nutrition programs, and more.

My plug here is not for our Pantry alone, but for the dozens of local not-for-profits that need not only people’s money, but also their time and talent. Your thing may be volunteering at a hospital. Mentoring a troubled teenager. Working in a parenting program at a prison. Furnishing a room at a domestic violence shelter. Visiting elderly folks at a nursing home who would otherwise have no company.

But here’s the kicker. If you carve out part of your life to serve others– it’s good for you! Studies demonstrate that altruism helps you lead a happier and healthy life. Recent neurological research reveals that when we help others, it lights up the primitive part of our brain – the same area that lets us experience pleasure through eating and sex. Scientists believe that giving to others buffers stress, through a complex interaction of the brain, immune system and hormones.

In one study of thousands of volunteers across the country, 43% reported they felt stronger and more energetic from volunteering; 28% experienced a feeling of inner warmth; 22% felt calmer and less depressed; 21% experienced greater feelings of self worth, and 13% experienced fewer aches and pains.

“If you could create a pill with the same results as indicated by the survey of American volunteers, it would be a best seller overnight,” says Dr. Stephen Post, Professor of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University and author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping.

Benefits start young–volunteering in adolescence increases self-esteem and protects against anti-social behavior and substance abuse–and they are lifelong. Amazingly, altruism is associated with a substantial reduction in mortality rates and is linked to longevity.

So this holiday season–and all year long– take good care of yourself. And do it by helping others.

Kate Stone Lombardi is a journalist and the author of The Mama’s Boy Myth: Why Keeping Our Sons Close Makes Them Stronger (Penguin Group USA). She asks everyone to consider the gift of giving and, with regard to *The Pantry, she notes: “We accept food donations, but please check guidelines on our website, mountkiscofoodpantry.org. We especially love financial contributions, because for every $1 donated, we can buy $4 worth of groceries at The Food Bank For Westchester, where we have enhanced buying power through government lines of credit.”

Like the Pilgrims and the Native Americans in Plymouth, Massachusetts nearly 400 years ago members of all faiths in Chappaqua will gather as a united community to give thanks and enjoy a meal on Sunday, November 24th at The First Congregational Church of Chappaqua. The Interfaith Thanksgiving Service starts at 4 p.m. and is followed by a dinner. Sponsored by The Chappaqua Interfaith Council, this popular event has grown from a small affair to a well-attended and much enjoyed Sunday afternoon experience.

The service celebrates how different communities give thanks. This year, Rev. Dr. Joel Clark Mason, President of The Council, will welcome everyone and participants from the member congregations will conduct the service, which includes prayers and music arranged by the various clergy. “The service originally consisted of prayers alone and at some point music was introduced,” said Rev. Dr. Mason.

“For more than 25 years, there has been an interfaith Thanksgiving service in New Castle, and seven years ago, in 2006, we expanded the event to include a community meal, which has been a great success, ” says Elinor Griffith, a lay representative from St. John and St. Mary’s Catholic Church who joined the Council in 2004. “Nearly 350 people– children, teens and adults, representing all local faith groups, from the Muslims and Jews to Baha’is, Catholics, Protestants and Quakers, attended last year’s event at St. John and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.”

“The service is uplifting and peaceful,” says Margaret Goodnough, a parishioner of St. Mary and St. John’s Catholic Church who looks forward to it every year. “It shows what we all have in common: love, caring, kindness and peace.”

Susan Pecker, a member of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester finds the service heartwarming. “There is such a sense of community and I particularly enjoy the music.” Rev. Dr. Mason recalls that one year the youth choir of the Baha’is gave a performance that “knocked everyone’s socks off.”

The reception following the service has evolved over the years from light refreshments to a plentiful Thanksgiving dinner. In the past five years, Crabtree’s Kittle House has donated the turkey, potatoes, gravy and cranberry relish. Members of the congregations provide the rest of the meal including delicious desserts.

The dinner is more than a culinary dining experience; it is an opportunity to get to know neighbors of other faiths. Esther Gates, a longtime Chappaqua resident and member of the First Congregational Church says that everyone is encouraged to sit with people they don’t know. When she attended the dinner two years ago at Temple Beth El, she dined with its Rabbi and members of the Baha’is of Northern Westchester. “The more you can bring people together to know each other the better. It’s a way of breaking down barriers,” says Gates.

Rev. Dr. Mason sums it up: “The best part of the service is how welcoming and warm it feels in a large church or synagogue to have all these different faiths together.” There is always an offering too. Last year attendees were asked to bring canned goods to be donated to the Interfaith Food Pantry in Pleasantville.

The Chappaqua Interfaith Council was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1981, even though the roots of the Council go back much further. The Council is composed of eight congregations: Baha’is of New Castle, Chappaqua Friends Meeting, First Congregational Church, Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Episcopal, Upper Westchester Muslim Society and St. John and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

“It is a gathering of clergy and lay leaders from our town’s faith groups who are devoted to building bridges of understanding between our communities,” says Griffith about the Council’s mission. In the aftermath of 9/11, for example, The Chappaqua Interfaith Council together with the Friends of the Chappaqua Library, arranged to have Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, an Islamic scholar and visiting Imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, speak at the Chappaqua Library Theater. The Council also co-sponsored the Library’s screening of the documentary film “Mothers of Bedford” on February 21, 2013. The film follows five mothers incarcerated at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in NY State as they work to “parent” from behind bars with the help of an innovative parenting program inside the prison.

In 2012, the spring event was “Mark Twain and the Minister.” Steve Courtney, editor of publications at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT, spoke about Twain and his close friendship with the minister Joseph Twichell. In 2011, a panel discussion comprised of local representatives of different faiths discussed the topic, “Is Rationality the Death of Religion?” All are welcome to the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, Sunday, November 24, 4 p.m., First Congregational Church, 210 Orchard Ridge Road, Chappaqua. http://www.fcc-chappaqua.org/directions.htm

Ronni Diamondstein, owner of Maggie Mae Pup Reporter™ is a Chappaqua based freelance writer, PR consultant, award-winning photographer and former School Library Media Specialist and teacher who has worked in the US and abroad.

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